Though the Edmonton Oilers lost 1-0 on Saturday to the Los Angeles Kings, the Philadelphia Flyers’ victory over the Winnipeg Jets means that the Oilers have officially clinched a spot in the 2026 NHL playoffs.

There are just two games remaining in the regular-season, and less than a week until the post-season begins. Without further ado, here are the four biggest question marks for the Oilers as the playoffs approach.

*All stats via Natural Stat Trick unless stated otherwise

How will Edmonton’s depth forwards fare?

Edmonton’s bottom six has been a persistent concern throughout 2025-26. In fact, there was a point this season in January that the team’s goal differential at 5-on-5 without Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl was below 30 percent; for context, that’s a full 10 percent lower than Edmonton’s worst season under Peter Chiarelli (!!).

Now, for it’s worth, they have seen some improvement since the Olympic break, as they sit at a 45 percent goal share without their two stars in that span. To their credit, much of it has been in Leon Draisaitl’s absence, and depth forwards like Max Jones and Josh Samanski have played some solid hockey. In theory, the return of Draisaitl should push players down the lineup and hopefully bring that number closer to 50 percent.

Nevertheless, the larger sample from the first half of the season cannot be ignored, and the quality of the team’s depth can be the difference between a Stanley Cup and a playoff exit.

Ultimately, I believe these playoffs will be a huge test for Kris Knoblauch. The fact of the matter is that numerous supporting forwards have seen a decline in performance under him, such as Jeff Skinner, Viktor Arvidsson, Trent Frederic and Andrew Mangiapane. More broadly, the Oilers’ depth scoring and overall offence has seen a significant dip since his arrival in the regular-season. 

Obviously, one cannot simply overlook the fact that the Oilers have reached consecutive cup finals with Knoblauch behind the bench, but playoff performance remains the primary........

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